NUT Desk- KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi handed Karachi Kings a demoralising six-wicket defeat in the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night after restricting the holders to their lowest ever team score.
From the outset, Karachi had no hope of stopping Peshawar from sealing a deserved berth in the playof f s while raising prospects of finishing among the top two teams who will straightaway clash in the Qualifier with the losers still remaining in contention for the final as they moved into second spot behind Islamabad United.
Karachi are in a deep hole and must win both their fixtures to stay in the running to defend their crown which seems to be slipping away f rom them as they f all behind Multan Sultans in fifth place on net run-rate.
Hazratullah Zazai made a sensational entry into PSL. The 23-year-old Afghan left-hander, who has to his credit the second highest individual score in Twenty20 Internationals an unbeaten 162 off 62 balls against Ireland in early 2019 plundered 63 off just 26 balls (eight fours and four sixes) as Peshawar overhauled Karachi`s score of 108-9 in the ninth over.
Player-of-the-match Zazai equalled the record of making the quickest half-century in the PSL, held by his Peshawar team-mate Kamran Akmal (17 balls) butdeparted as Karachi captain Imad Wasim came on to take two wickets in three deliveries when it was already too late.
Everything fell apart for Karachi the moment their talisman Babar Azam took a sickening blow on his left foot on the only ball faced as the ace batter was found dead in front of the stumps by a searing delivery from Peshawar skipper Wahab Riaz.
